The Wisconsin women’s hockey team’s thrilling three-goal comeback on Thursday to beat Minnesota is one of many historic wins under head coach Mark Johnson.
The win has been described as exciting by fans and players alike. When asked about the shifting momentum of the game, head coach Johnson said, “So now we start the third and then can you capitalize and make it 3-2.”
“We did that, and then the game became interesting,” he continued. “So you never know what's going to happen in our game, that's why you keep playing."
The Badgers’ win over Minnesota is the most recent thriller of Johnson’s career, but here are some other notable wins from his tenure as head coach.
2006 National Championship win
The Badgers earned their first NCAA women’s hockey championship in 2006 when they played none other than the Minnesota Golden Gophers. Despite the Gophers’ status as the two-time defending NCAA champions, the Badgers were able to shut them out 3-0. The win under Johnson is quite impressive — with it, he became one of the few people to be a part of a championship team as both a player and a coach.
After this championship win, Johnson was named the American College Hockey Association (ACHA) Coach of the Year. He was chosen for this prestigious award by his peers not only for the championship that the team won, but for the players he produced as well.
The Badgers’ record for the 2005-2006 season was 36-4-1, which put Johnson’s overall record at the time at 111-27-10, first overall among active coaches.
2021 National Championship win
The 2021 National Championship win was an unforgettable moment for everyone involved. The Badgers took a huge overtime win over the Northeastern Huskies 2-1. For Johnson, it meant he would become the only coach to ever achieve six national title wins.
“We had some hiccups along the way, but we found a way to get it done, and I couldn't be happier for our entire organization," Johnson said.
Johnson earned himself Coach of the Year from the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) after this historic championship win.
Johnson’s 600th win
The Badgers blew out the Minnesota State Mavericks 9-0 on Oct.13, 2023 to earn Johnson’s 600th career win. He was the first among any women’s hockey coach to reach this achievement, and ninth overall on both the men’s and women’s side. This win was memorable for the whole team, as seven different Badgers were able to score, and goalie Ava McNaughton earned her first career shutout.
“It's not about me. It's a number, obviously been around a long time, and I got great support staff,” Johnson said during the post game press conference. “Twenty-some years ago we had women's hockey, but today, a lot of people know and come and support a program.”
With no end to Johnson’s reign as head coach in sight, and the Badgers currently ranked No. 1, there is a pretty good chance the team could add to this list by the end of the season.
